News CBS
Dairy farming even more under nitrogen ceiling
The excretion of nitrogen in animal manure is 471 million kilos in 2021 in the final figures of Statistics Netherlands. That is more than 18 million kilos less than a year earlier and almost 7% below the nitrogen ceiling that the European Union has set for the Dutch livestock. That is lower than in the preliminary figures (473,7 million kilograms) from February. In the latest figures, the dairy sector falls further below the nitrogen ceiling of 281,8 million kilos.
Last year, the dairy sector fell below the nitrogen ceiling for the second time since the abolition of the milk quota in 2015. Dairy cows and young stock excreted 273 million kilos of nitrogen last year (in the provisional figures this was 277,7 million kilos). That is 4,7% less than in 2020. The production ceiling for the dairy sector is 281,8 million kilos.
At 74,2 million kilos, the phosphate production of the dairy sector is well below the phosphate ceiling of 84,9 million kilos. Production was 0,5 million kilos higher than in 2020. This is related to the composition of the animal feed, grass and silage maize. The nitrogen content of the 2021 grass was low, resulting in a lower average nitrogen content. The phosphorus content of the harvested grass was actually higher in 2021.
Prohibition of minks
The nitrogen and phosphate excretion of pigs and poultry is mainly related to the number of animals, according to CBS. The number of pigs has decreased. The nitrogen excretion of the pig sector thus decreased by 2021% (3,2 million kilos) to 2,9 million kilos in 88,9. That is higher than in the provisional figures (87,8 million kilos). Phosphate excretion decreased more than in the preliminary figures. The decrease was 2,2 million kilos to 34,5 million kilos.
In the poultry sector, nitrogen excretion decreased by 0,7% and phosphate excretion by 3,7% to 54,3 million kilos and 23,2 million kilos respectively. That's below production ceilings. Nitrogen excretion from other livestock decreased last year by 0,9 million kilos (3,9%) to 21,9 million kilos. That decrease is entirely attributable to the ban on keeping mink from January 1, 2021, according to CBS.
Linda van Eekeres
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